Manchester Announces Collaborative Initiative With Other Agencies

MANCHESTER, NH - Manchester Police, and the U.S. Attorney planned to hold a press conference Wednesday to announce several initiatives with partner agencies. The press conference was canceled due to scheduling issues, however, several things were announced via press releases.

The U.S. Attorney abounded that Michael Francis, 34, of Manchester, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Monday and charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm, according to Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley.

Court paperwork indicates that Francis was arrested on Sept 1 on the West Side of Manchester for parole violations. At the time of his arrest, there was a holster under the driver’s seat of his vehicle.

Law enforcement agents later obtained a warrant to search Francis’ residence on Thornton Street in Manchester and recovered four loaded handguns, two of which were stolen. Officers also recovered over 400 grams of suspected fentanyl and over 400 grams of suspected methamphetamine. The charges allege Francis was prohibited from possessing firearms due to at least one prior felony conviction.

Francis is being detained pending trial. The criminal investigation into his conduct is ongoing. The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joachim Barth and Aaron Gingrande.

Manchester police, shortly after announcing the arrest of Michael Francis said, despite the inability to host the press conference, all involved partners believe it is important to communicate the hard work all federal, state, and local agencies are engaged in to fight violent crime.

In March of this year, the CompStat 360 program was announced as the initiative to focus on reducing violent crime and address public safety issues in Manchester. As part of CompStat 360, Manchester police has held community meetings and has created a community-centered Problem Solving Team to discuss and develop additional responses, including non-law enforcement responses, to these issues.

This problem-solving team includes our law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the County Attorney’s Office, community leaders, public health officials, public works personnel, and community organizations. This team will announce community responses to violent crime in the near future.

CompStat 360 is a key part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is the centerpiece of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s comprehensive strategy to reduce gun violence and violent crime. The work follows a framework of prevention, intervention, and strategic enforcement.

Law enforcement partners, including Manchester Police, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office, State Police, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, New Hampshire Probation and Parole, FBI, and ATF have enhanced coordination to focus on prolific and chronic offenders. These agencies also are using data-driven approaches to determine where resources should be deployed.

These partners have developed systems for increased information sharing and coordination through weekly meetings to review incidents, share intelligence, and work on plans of action to address violence. This collaborative effort has never been stronger.

Manchester police, New Hampshire State Police, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office have worked to increase officer presence and community engagement in the neighborhoods that need it most. Since the start of this initiative, these agencies have conducted over 4,000 directed patrols in furtherance of these goals. With the use of the American Recovery Plan and Project Safe Neighborhoods grant funding — nearly 250 of these directed patrols have been officers conducting foot patrols.

The American Recovery Plan funds have also been instrumental in adding resources toward targeting chronic, violent offenders in Manchester. The federal indictment of Michael Francis is the first example of how these added resources have assisted in a significant case. Court records showed that the arrest of Francis resulted in the recovery of four firearms (two of which were stolen), 400 grams of suspected fentanyl, and 400 grams of suspected methamphetamine. This enforcement effort is impactful and helps to improve public safety.

While enforcement efforts are an important part of our overall strategy to fight violent crime, law enforcement cannot fight this battle alone. It is important for the entire community to get involved in the effort to keep Manchester safe. All Manchester residents are encouraged to join and embrace positive change and help make this community thrive.

“For most residents of Manchester, these efforts should be a message of hope for the future,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John J. Farley. “But for those who choose to pursue a path of violence, I have a different message. We will not tolerate violent crime in our community. We will investigate you. We will prosecute you. And you will go to federal prison.”

“We hear the community concerns on these issues, we feel the same concerns, and we are responding,” said Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg. “There are significant ongoing efforts focusing on offenders and neighborhood safety and we will continue to address violent crime in Manchester. Anyone who thinks they can commit violence in this city should be on notice: We are putting all available resources into investigating, identifying, and arresting violent offenders.”

Partners in these initiatives hope to have in-person announcements in the future to discuss the progress of these initiatives and provide updates to the community about additional efforts as this work is developed.